Merger Makes for a Greater Louisville

For decades, the hometown of the Kentucky Derby lagged behind urban pacesetters in population and prestige.

Now, as it prepares to merge with Jefferson County, Louisville is hoping to shed its image as a middle-of-the-pack city by becoming the nation’s 16th largest.

“We no longer want to be America’s best-kept secret,” said Steve Higdon, head of Greater Louisville Inc., the metro chamber of commerce.

In a merger approved by voters two years ago, the city and county governments will dissolve Jan. 6 and be replaced by a unified metro government.

Overnight, the population will jump from 256,000 -- 66th largest in the nation -- to nearly 700,000. Greater Louisville will vault past Baltimore; Memphis, Tenn.; Boston; Seattle and Denver, among others.

It will be the first city-county consolidation in a major metropolitan area in years, and other cities will be watching closely.

“We really are a laboratory of innovation,” said Jerry Abramson, the former Louisville mayor who won nearly three-fourths of the vote last month to be elected Greater Louisville’s first mayor.

At Jay’s Restaurant, opinions about the merger varied.

“I love it,” said owner Frank Foster. “We’re not two parts anymore. We’re going to be one whole city.”

Isaac Shoulders, pastor of Greater Nazarene Baptist Church, said the merger would make government more efficient: “Anytime you can eliminate duplication of anything you are better off. I think this will have more impact on our city and our quality of life than anything in the last 35 years.”

But Renee Campbell-Mapp frets about the merger’s effect on the social services agency she runs. Demand for job training and child-care services will stay strong, but she doesn’t know if funding will stay constant. “I’m worried that I don’t know what it’s going to mean,” she said.

Some blacks worry the merger will weaken their voice in city government, since one in three Louisville residents is black, while in the county the figure is fewer than one in five.

Jefferson County Commissioner Darryl Owens, a leading opponent of the merger, said that fear was realized when only six blacks were elected to the 26-seat Metro Council. “I think it was the only group in the community that was asked to make a sacrifice,” he said.

For years, Louisville seemed stuck in the shadows of neighbors such as Indianapolis and Nashville, two cities that accomplished mergers years ago.

But signs of renewal have taken root in recent years.

A waterfront park draws people to the banks of the Ohio River. The airport was expanded. A trendy skate park draws youngsters in droves. A museum honoring native son Muhammad Ali is planned near the waterfront.

The city is home to corporate heavyweights. Two Ford plants roll out SUVs. A United Parcel Service air hub is a beehive of activity. And General Electric chose Louisville for its lighting and appliances businesses.